A refrigerator that runs nonstop is working too hard to hold its temperature — and that runs up your power bill and wears the compressor. Usually it's something making the fridge lose cold or struggle to make it, and several causes you can check yourself. Here's the order a tech runs through them, cheapest first.
The coils that release heat — usually underneath or on the back — clog with dust and pet hair. Choked coils can't shed heat, so the fridge runs constantly trying to cool.
Check it: Unplug the fridge, find the coils (behind the front kick plate or on the back), and vacuum/brush them clean. This alone fixes a large share of "runs all the time" calls and is free.
Worn or dirty door gaskets let cold leak out, so the fridge never catches up. A drawer or item blocking the door from sealing does the same.
Check it: Wipe the gaskets clean and check the seal with a dollar bill — close it in the door; if it slides out easily, the seal is weak. Make sure nothing blocks the door from closing fully.
A hot kitchen, an overstuffed fridge blocking airflow, or the temperature set colder than needed all make it run more.
Check it: Leave room for air to circulate around the vents inside, and set the fridge around 37°F / freezer 0°F rather than max cold.
A frost buildup on the evaporator (from a defrost fault) or a failing condenser/evaporator fan makes cooling inefficient, so the compressor runs nonstop. Less often, the compressor or control is weakening.
Check it: If the coils are clean, seals are good, and it still never stops — especially with frost buildup or a fridge that's slightly warm — that's a tech diagnosis.
Usually repair — most constant-running is free (clean the coils, fix the seal) or an affordable fan/defrost part. Replacing the fridge only makes sense if it's a failing sealed system on an older unit, which a tech can confirm.
In Middle Tennessee or the Baton Rouge area? We'll come to you, same-day. Anywhere else in the U.S.? Send a 10-second video, a real technician tells you exactly what's wrong for $50 (credited toward the repair), and we ship you the exact part. 24/7 — text, call, or upload anytime.
Most often the condenser coils are clogged with dust so it can't shed heat, or the door seals are leaking cold. Clean the coils and check the gaskets first — those are free fixes that solve a lot of cases.
It runs up your power bill and wears the compressor over time, so it's worth fixing. Start with the coils and seals; if it still never stops or is running warm, have the fan/defrost system checked.
Often nothing (cleaning coils) or an affordable fan or defrost part. Your $50 Quick Check credits toward the repair if a part is needed.